VALENTINE'S DAY & WEDDING JEWELLERY & GIFTS

In Ancient Rome, the date of February 14th was a holiday to honour Juno the Queen of Roman Goddesses and Gods. Juno was known as the Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia. On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars. Each young man would draw a girl's name from the jar and they would then be partners for the duration of the festival. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year and often they would fall in love and later marry. This ritual under the laws of Emperor Claudius II was banned, as he believed the reason men would not go to war was because they did not want to leave their lovers or families. As a result, all marriages and engagements were cancelled but a Roman priest named Valentine married these couples in secret and for this he was executed as a martyr on 14th February 270AD. It is said that while Valentine was in jail he fell in love with the jailer's blind daughter and left her a farewell note, which he signed From Your Valentine. Valentine was later canonised and February 14th was the date set to honour him. Gradually February 14th became the date for exchanging love messages and tokens, and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers.

Products which would make lovely St Valentine's Day and Wedding Day gifts - from your heart to the one you love.